Maniac Cop is looking to be the next horror franchise from years past that’s set to make a comeback. Written by Larry Cohen and directed by William Lustig, the original Maniac Cop first came out back in 1988. Starring Robert Z’Dar in the titular role alongside Tom Atkins and Bruce Campbell, the film tells the story of a murderous former cop who comes back from the dead to carry out vengeance from beyond the grave. It became a cult classic and inspired two sequels, released in 1990 and 1992.
The franchise has remained dormant ever since, but there have been rumblings for several years about a fourth installment getting made. By 2019, it was being reported that Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, The Neon Demon) was set to reboot Maniac Cop in the form of a television series for HBO. The project seemed to meet its end in development hell, failing to make major traction in the years since. However, it would now appear that the Maniac Cop reboot is not dead after all.
Lustig spoke about the Maniac Cop franchise during an interview with the Icons of Fright podcast. The director said he’d just recently spoken with Refn, adding that they were talking because they are “working on the Maniac Cop thing.” Lustig went on to address why the reboot struggled to make traction and claimed that it was finally set to start filming in Fall 2026.
“What happened with Maniac Cop was, we had everything set, financing in place, we’re moving ahead, [then] Larry Cohen dies,” Lustig said. “Suddenly, we’re forced to deal with his estate. And, anybody will tell you, is the most difficult thing is to deal with widows, and the children, of somebody who was basically supporting them. I mean, Larry Cohen supported his children, even though they were in their 30s, and all that.”
He continued, “He was their support, and so, suddenly, they thought, you know, they step into the shoes of Larry, and are entitled to what Larry would get if he wrote the script. And, well, you’re not, because you’re not writing the script. Anyway, it was kind of like that, one of those surreal situations. So, it took several years to settle it, and it was settled about a year ago. Now, Nic has it on as his next project, and will shoot it in the fall.”
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Lustig then verified that the reboot would no longer be a TV series, but a fourth feature film. According to Lustig, this change happened when HBO merged with Discovery. Though big money had already been spent on the scripts for the TV show’s episodes, Discovery execs passed on the project. With that noted, Lustig said he can’t announce the company that had since acquired Maniac Cop rights to release the fourth film, but that it would be announced in the near future.
A release date has not yet been set for the new Maniac Cop. The full interview with Lustig can be watched below.
